Wizard (monster)

Version 0.30: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

wizard

Useful Info

Wizards are uncommon enemy spell casters who can roast you with Fireballs or banish you into the Abyss. Fortunately they are flimsy, not too evasive, cannot see invisible, and don't have much willpower. You can find them in the Depths, the Vaults, the Abyss, and Pandemonium (particularly in the company of Lom Lobon).

Tips & Tricks

• Banishment requires line of fire, and can be defeated by high enough willpower. Fire resistance is helpful to defend against Fireballs, too.
• Wizards are... wizards. They can't do much when silenced or waterlogged.

Variant Wizards

You may encounter a mad acolyte of Lugonu when approaching certain rune vaults in the Abyss. These variant wizards always spawn wielding distortion-branded weapons and can cast Smiting, Malign Gateway, Blink, Blink Other, and Invisibility.

A devoted follower of Lugonu, driven mad by years of living in the Abyss. "And when you look long into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you." -Friedrich Nietzche, "Beyond Good and Evil", 1886

A permanently silenced terrified wizard can often be found caged in one of Trog's possible altar vaults. It usually dies from Trog's wrath too fast for you to kill, but if you have a wand of digging, you can free and kill this mute wizard for about 600 XP.

A wild-eyed wizard whose tongue has been cut out, frantically mumbling and waving its arms but unable to cast a single spell.

History

• In 0.31, wizards will be replaced with occultists (Fireball, Banishment, Blink, and Invisibility) and arcanists (Freezing Cloud, Paralyse, Force Lance, and Haste). Occultists will appear in Depths, while arcanists will spawn mostly in Vaults.
• Prior to 0.27, they could have one of three possible spell sets:
  • Bolt of Cold (3d18), Lehudib's Crystal Spear (3d28), Slow, and Haste
  • Force Lance (3d14), Fireball (3d19), Paralyze, and Blink
  • Stone Arrow (3d17), Lightning Bolt (3d17), Banishment, and Invisibility
• Prior to 0.25, wizards could have Iskenderun's Mystic Blast instead of Force Lance.
• Prior to 0.19, they could cast Bolt of Fire, Confuse, Magic Dart, Throw Flame, Sting, and Venom Bolt. Also, wizards had five spell sets instead of three.
• Prior to 0.17, wizards could cast Teleport Self and Teleport Other.
• Prior to 0.13, you could meet more variant wizards in the game. A crazed wizard was guarding a Hell entrance on the last floor of the Lair. This monster was identical to a standard wizard, but had HD 13 instead of 10. A mad wizard capable of casting Polymorph Other could be found near a room full of laboratory rats.